Buckle for cargo-holding straps

ABSTRACT

A buckle comprising a U-frame and a lever pivoted thereto, between its legs, to swing past a dead center position to and from a buckle-closed position tensioning a cargo-holding strap having one end secured to the frame and its other end portion looped around a terminal member on the lever. Latch means that can be manually or automatically activated or even held in an inactive condition, provides for releasably holding the lever against movement out of its strap-tensioning position.

United States Patent 11113,574,

72 Inventors RoyNorton 2,867,406 1/1959 Davis 24/68X Milwaukee; 3,120,946 2/1964 McCormack m1. 24/68X GlennS. Thompson, BrownDeer, Wis. 3,099,055 7/1963 Huber 24/68 21 AppLNo. 798,315 3,423,799 1/1969 Higuchi 24/68 [22] Filed Feb.l1,1969 FOREIGN PATENTS [451 Paemed 878,051 9/1961 GreatBritain 24/68 [73] Assignee said Thompson assignor to said Roy Norton [54] BUCKLE FOR CARGO-HOLDING STRAPS (CTD), 68 (CT), 68.30 (B), 69 (CTD), 69 (CT), 70 (CT), 70 (ST), 71 (TD) [5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,852,827 9/ 1958 Arnold 24 Primary ExaminerStanley N. Gilreath Assistant Examiner-Wemer H. Schroeder Attorney-Ira Milton Jones ABSTRACT: A buckle comprising a U-frame and a lever pivoted thereto, between its legs, to swing past a dead center position to and from a buckle-closed position tensioning a cargo-holding strap having one end secured to the frame and its other end portion looped around a terminal member on the lever. Latch means that can be manually or automatically activated or even held in an inactive condition, provides for releasably holding the lever against movement out of its straptensioning position.

PATENTEDAPRI3I97| 3,574,246

SHEET 2 [IF 3 I y 51921:? i Thagsan A12 3 BUCKLE FOR CARGO-HOLDING STRAPS This invention relates to buckles such as are commonly used on fabric web straps for holding cargo of various sorts in place during transfer thereof from one location to another. Such buckles are ordinarily provided with an overcenter lever which serves to tension the strap when it is swung past a dead center position to a buckle-closed position securing together the ends of the strap, and in which position the lever is held by the tension on the strap.

In general, it is the purpose of this invention to provide an improved buckle which features simplicity of construction and ease of manipulation as well as an unprecedented degree of security.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a buckle of the character described featuring an overcenter lever with a terminal member thereon around which one end portion of a cargo-holding strap can be looped, and which terminal member is movably mounted in a way such that takes advantage of tension on the strap that conceivably could otherwise result in slippage and loosening of the strap, to cause one stretch of the strap looped about the terminal member to be clamped to a wall of the lever with a force that increases with any increase in strap tension.

With these observations and objects in mind, the manner in which the invention achieves its purpose will be appreciated from the following description and the accompanying drawings. This disclosure is intended merely to exemplify the invention. The invention is not limited to the particular structure or method disclosed, and changes can be made therein which lie within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the invention.

The drawings illustrate several complete examples of the physical embodiment of the invention constructed according to the best modes so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a buckle of this invention, showing it in a closed position securing together the ends of a cargo-holding strap such as a length of fabric webbing;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the buckle seen in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a similar longitudinal sectional view showing the buckle in an open position;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating a modified form of latch for the buckle;

FIG. 5 is a detail cross-sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view similar to FIG. 2, but showing another form of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of another modification of the invention, illustrating the buckle therein seen in its closed position;

FIGS. 8 and 9 are further modified embodiments of buckles of the invention similarly illustrating the same in closed positions; and

FIG. 10 is a'detail cross-sectional view taken on the line l0l0 in FIG. 9.

. two main components, one of which is provided by a U-shaped frame 11 having opposite legs 12 projecting rearwardly from a crossbar 13 over which one terminal end 14 of the webbing can be looped and secured to as by stitching (not shown). The other component is provided by an elongated lever 15 having flanges 16 received between the rear end portions of the frame legs 12 and articulatively connected to said legs by coaxial pivot pins 17, one for each leg. The pivot pins support the lever for swinging movement about a transverse axis parallel to the crossbar 13 by spaced a distance rearwardly thereof and of the front end of the lever. The pivot axis is located to provide short and long lever am 18 and 19 on the lever which respectively extend fore and aft from the pivot axis.

The lever comprises a substantially channel-shaped stamping of heavy gauge sheet metal, having an elongated web 20 that provides a top wall on the lever extending fore-and-aft over the pivot axis in spaced relation thereto. The opposite flanges l6 mentioned before extend downwardly from the longitudinal edges of the top wall in parallel relation to one another. Each of the frame legs 12 has a flattened rear end portion 21 through which its pivot pin 17 passes and which extends a distance rearwardly beyond the pivot axis along the outer side of the adjacent flange 16 for a purpose to be discussed hereinafter.

In its buckle-closedor operative strap-tensioning position seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lever extends lengthwise of the frame legs. A doubled length of the strap lies under and passes rearwardly out beyond the top wall of the lever, and it will be understood that the upper stretch 24 thereof constitutes the free end of the strap while the lower stretch 25 is the tensioned stretch which connects with the crossbar 13 at the firstmentioned end 14 of the strap.

The doubled length of strap extends upwardly and rearwardly around a transverse ledge or strap support 27 on the front of the short arm 18 of the lever. The strap support 27 can be provided by a curled-over lip on the forward edge of the top wall or web 20, and it extends across the lever at a distance above and forwardly of the axis of the pivot pins 17 but spaced rearwardly from the crossbar 13 on the frame. If desired, the edge of the ledge 27 facing the crossbar 13 can be slightly convex for a purpose discussed at length in the copending application of Roy Norton Ser. No. 743,388, filed Jul. 9, 1968 and entitled Industrial Load-Lifting Sling.

The doubled length of strap defines a loop 28 which is engaged around a terminal bar 29 on the top of the lever, and the terminal bar cooperates with the ledge or support 27 to anchor the doubled end portion of the strap to the lever.

It is one of the more important features of the buckle of this invention that the terminal bar 29 is caused to move toward the wall 20 to securely clamp the adjacent stretch of the strap thereagainst as a consequence of the tension on that stretch of the strap which is outermost on the ledge 27. This unique clamping action results from the fact that the terminal bar 29 is pivotally mounted on the lever for swinging motion about the common transverse axis of a pair of coaxial trunnions 30, on the bar, which are spaced a distance rearwardly of the terminal bar and formed by tumed-in end portions of a pair of opposite arms 31 that are joined to the opposite ends of the terminal bar. The trunnions 30 can be supported on the top of the web 20, in the bearing loop 32 of a bearing plate 33 that is fixed to the top wall of the lever as by welding.

It is important to note that the bearing 32 constrains the terminal bar 29 to swing toward and from the top of the web 20 about a transverse axis which is spaced a short distance rearwardly of the bar, and below the level of a raised pad 34 on the web under the terminal bar. As can be clearly ascertained from FIG. 2, the lower stretch of the strap loop 28 is not only confined between the terminal bar 29 and the pad 34, but the pad holds the terminal bar at a pronounced elevation above a plane containing the axis of the trunnions 30 and tangent to the junction of the ledge 27 with the top surface of the web 20 on the lever. With this relationship, a substantial torsional force can be exerted on the terminal bar tending to pivot the same toward the pad 34 when the strap is held properly tensioned by the lever in its closed position seen in FIGS. 1 and 2.

As is customary in overcenter-type buckles of the type herein concerned, the tension on the strap holds the lever in its buckle-closed position, which can be defined by the engagement of a turned-under lip 35 on the rear end of the web 20 with the outer or free stretch 24 of the strap. In this position, the lower strap portion 25 pulls rearwardly upon the ledge 27, which is located a substantial distance to one side, namely above, the dead center plane containing the axes of the pivot pins 17 and the crossbar 13. Consequently, the tension in the strap tends to swing the lever clockwise about the axis of the pivot pins 17.

The buckle can be opened, of course, by lifting up on the rear of the lever, to cause it to swing in the counterclockwise direction about pivot pins 17, forwardly over the frame 11. This carries the ledge'27 on its front end downwardly to and beyond the aforementioned dead center plane, to the opposite side thereof. In the open position of the buckle seen in FIG. 3, the stretch 25 of the strap can be readily pulled rearwardly to detach the outer or free stretch 24 of the strap from the terminal bar 29; or it can be readily passed under the ledge 27 and looped over the terminal bar when it is desired to secure the ends of the strap together and tension the strap.

With the construction described thus far, it will be seen that the lever can be easily tripped open by giving a quick upward tug on the free stretch 24 of the strap at the rear of the lever. While this makes it very handy for authorized persons to open the buckle, the exposed free stretch of the strap can also excite the curiosity of unauthorized persons and lead them to pull upwardly on the stretch 24 of the strap just because it is there. Obviously, this could result in serious injury to such persons, as well as damage to the cargo.

This invention, however, provides a simple but effective latch 36, which is cooperable with the flattened rearward extensions 21 of the-frame legs mentioned earlier, to guard against unauthorized or accidental opening of the buckle. The latch 36 comprises a U-shaped member which can be made of somewhat springy wire, having a bight portion 37 extending transversely across the top of the 'web 20 and held loosely confined thereagainst by a bearing crease 38 in the plate 33 behind its bearing portion 32. Opposite arms 39 on the latch extend substantially vertically downwardly from the bight, in outwardly spaced relation to the lever flanges to loosely embrace the rear end portions of the extensions 21 on the frame arms. Each of the latch arms 39 can have an inwardly directed hook 40 on its outer end to engage under a lower edge portion 41 of its adjacent frame arm extension, at the rear thereof, to prevent the lever from being swung counterclockwise about its pivot to the buckle-open position seen in FIG. 3.

In its operative latching position shown in FIG. 1, spring force in the latch arms is relied upon to yieldingly hold the extremities of the hooks 40 thereon engaged in detent depressions 42 in the adjacent flanges of the lever. The hooks can be withdrawn, or cammed out of these depressions when the latch is swung counterclockwise about the axis of its bight portion 37 to positions at which the hooks clear the rear extremities of the frame arm extensions, to permit opening of the buckle. If desired, the inoperative position of the latch can be defined by the engagement of its hooks 40 in other detent depressions 42' rearwardly of the depressions 42.

FIG. 4 illustrates a pivoted latch 360 similar to that described above, but which can automatically assume its operative latching position when the lever is swung to the buckle-closed position.

The latch 360 has the same general U-shaped configuration as before, to provide opposite latch arms 39 with hooks 40 on their extremities, but the hooks need not contact the flanges of the channel-shaped lever. The pivotally supported bight portion 370 of the latch, however, has a medial portion offset at a downward and forward angle out of the plane of the latch arms, to provide an eccentric 44 that projects through an opening 45 in the web of the lever to bear against a transverse leaf spring 46 in said opening. Portions of the web 20 are depressed at each transverse end of the leaf spring to provide seats 47 therefor, as seen best in FIG. 5, so that the spring is supported with its ends spanning the seats 47 and loosely confined between them and the underside of the bearing plate 33. The plate 33, of course, nicely covers the opening 45.

The eccentric 44 on the latch can be offset slightly less than 45 forwardly out of the plane of the downwardly projecting latch arms, so that the force of the leaf spring 46 bearing upwardly thereagainst can hold the latch in either its operative position seen in FIG. 4 or in an inoperative position swung counterclockwise about the axis of its bight an extent disposing its eccentric substantially equal distance to the right of a dead center position corresponding to the pendant or operative position of the latch arms.

The latch can be set in its operative position when the buckle is open, and it will automatically engage under the frame arm extensions when the buckle is reclosed. During such reclosure of the buckle, the hooks on the extremities of the latch arms are engageable with cam surfaces 48 on the rear extremities of the frame arm extensions 21, which cause the latch to be momentarily swung in a counterclockwise direction an extent short of its dead center position to enable the hooks 40 thereon to clear the extremities of the frame arm extensions 21. As soon as the hooks 40 are past the extremities of the frame arm extensions, they are snapped forwardly under the edges 41 on said extensions due to the action of the leaf spring on the eccentric bight portion 44 of the latch. With this latter construction, it will be obvious that the latch can be made of rigid stock.

The remainder of the buckle seen in FIGS. 4 and 5 can be identical to the FIG. 1 buckle, with one further exception. The bearing plate 33 in the former embodiment of the invention is provided with a forwardly extending lip 50 along its front end, ahead of the bearing portion 32, which lip projects through a slit 51 in the web 20 of the lever to the underside thereof, where it is welded or otherwise secured to the web in flatwise engagement therewith. In the FIG. 4 and 5 embodiment, however, the front edge portion 50' of the bearing plate lies on top of the web 20 and extends forwardly beneath the terminal bar 29 to take the place of the pad 34. Accordingly, the front portion of the top wall 20 on the lever can be flat, as seen best in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 illustrates another form of the buckle of this invention, wherein the doubled stretches of the strap passing around the ledge 27 are held out of contact with the cargo C during opening and closing of the buckle to thus protect said stretches of the strap against damage by abrasion or the like. For this purpose, the flanges of the lever are extended forwardly of the ledge 27 to provide opposite guards 52 with rounded edges that prevent the doubled stretches of the strap on ledge 27 from rubbing against the cargo. The buckle of FIG. 6 can be otherwise like those described previously.

FIG. 7 discloses a buckle of this invention featuring a terminal bar 290 which is supported from the lever 150 by opposite links 54 at the outer sides of the lever flanges 55 for swinging motion of the bar toward and from the top wall or web 200 of the lever. The upper ends of the links 54 can be fixed to the opposite ends of the terminal bar, and their lower ends are individually connected to the channel flanges 55 by pivot pins 56, which are disposed on a common axis below and slightly rearwardly of the terminal bar.

This mounting of the terminal bar is advantageous by reason of the fact that the links are normally maintained in a most favorable attitude, in the closed position of the buckle, to cause the terminal bar to effectively clamp the stretch of the strap loop thereunder against the top wall 200 of the lever in consequence of the tension on the strap. Another feature of considerable importance, however, is that the pivot pins 56 may also serve to connect the arms 120 of the frame to the lever, with said arms loosely embracing the lower ends of the links 54.

The buckle seen in FIG. 8 is like that of FIG. 7, except that the links 54 supporting the terminal bar extend through narrow slits 58 in the web 200 of the lever, with their inner ends disposed inwardly adjacent to the channel flanges 55. In this case, the flanges are located between the links and the arms of the frame 110.

FIG. 9 discloses a buckle having a transverse terminal bar 60 in the form of a pin having its opposite ends loosely projecting through slots 61 in the flanges 62 on the channelshaped lever 63, beneath the web 64 thereof. The slots 61 are so slanted as to allow the terminal bar to move bodily fore and aft, toward and from the underside of the web 64. With this arrangement, the upper stretch of the strap looped around the terminal bar 60 is firmly wedged thereby against the underside of web 64 in consequence of tension on the strap, which pulls the bar forwardly up the incline of the slots in which its ends are received.

As seen in FIG. 10, one end of the terminal bar 60 can have an enlarged head 66 formed thereon externally of the adjacent flange of the lever, while the other end of the bar can have a screw 67 threaded coaxially thereinto, with the enlarged head of the screw disposed externally of the adjacent flange of the lever.

The top wall or web 64, of course, provides a protective cover over the terminal bar 60 and the stretches of the strap extending forwardly therefrom. In addition, the web 64 and the flanges 62 can extend over and forwardly of a separate ledge 68 around which the doubled stretches of the strap are trained, to provide a guard 69 like that described previously.

From the foregoing description, together with the accompanying drawings, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that this invention provides an overcentertype buckle for cargo-holding straps which features an exceptional degree of security resulting chiefly from the fact that it is constructed to prevent sliding of the strap in either direction without first opening the buckle.

We claim:

1. An overcenter-type strap-tensioning buckle for securing together the ends of a cargo-holding strap, characterized by:

A. means providing an elongated frame having front and rear portions and having means at its front portion defining a crossbar to which one end portion of a cargoholding strap can be secured with the strap extending forwardly from the frame;

B. pivot-defining means on the frame disposed on a transverse axis located a distance rearwardly from said crossbar;

C. a lever having elongated wall means with a transversely extending strap support at one end thereof;

D. means on the lever supporting the same from said pivotdefining means for pivotal motion about said transverse axis toward and from a buckle-closed position at which said wall means extends fore and aft of said axis, substantially lengthwise along a plane containing said crossbar and axis, and the support on said wall means faces forwardly from a location between said crossbar and axis and a distance offset from said plane;

E. said support being adapted to bear against flatwise juxtaposed stretches of the strap at the other end thereof which define a loop and have portions remote from the loop extending forwardly to and around said support near said plane, and have other portions adjacent to the loop which extend rearwardly of the support remote from said plane;

F. a terminal member around which said loop is engaged, said terminal member extending transversely of the lever near said plane and at a location spaced rearwardly from said support but between the ends of the lever; and

G. means mounting said terminal member on the lever for movement relative thereto toward and from said wall means, and in an attitude such that forwardly acting force thereon resulting from tension on the strap effects movement of said terminal member in a direction toward said wall means to clamp thereto one of the superimposed stretches of the strap engaged over the terminal member.

2. The buckle of claim 1, wherein said wall means has flanges at opposite sides thereof, with rounded portions on the flanges that extend forwardly beyond said strap support to afford protection for the superimposed stretches of a strap passing rearwardly around the support.

3. An overcenter-type strap tensioning buckle for securing together the ends of a cargo-holding strap, characterized by:

A. means providing an elongated frame having a rear portion and a front portion with a crossbar thereon to which one end of a cargo-holding strap can be secured;

B. pivot-defining means on the frame disposed on a transverse axis located a distance rearwardly from said crossbar;

C. a lever having elongated wall means with a transverse strap support at one end thereof;

D. means on the lever supporting the same from said pivotdefining means for pivotal motion about said transverse axis from a buckle-closed position, at which said wall means extends a substantial distance rearwardly of said axis, lengthwise along a plane containing the crossbar and said axis, and at which position the strap support thereon faces forwardly from a location between the crossbar and said axis and a distance offset in one direction from said plane, to a buckle-open position at which the strap support is disposed at the opposite side of said plane;

E. a terminal member with which the other end portion of the strap can be engaged, and extending transversely of the lever and similarly offset in said one direction from said plane, at a location spaced rearwardly from the strap support but between the ends of the lever; and

. means mounting said terminal member on the lever for movement relative thereto toward and from said wall means, and in such orientation relative to the lever that force exerted on said terminal member urging it toward said support, in consequence of tension on the strap, efi'ects movement of the terminal member toward said wall means to clamp thereto a portion of the strap engaged with the terminal member.

4. The buckle of claim 3, further characterized by:

A. said strap support and said terminal member .being located between said plane and said wall means in the closed position of the buckle; and

B. said wall means providing a cover which conceals the strap support, the terminal member and portions of the strap engaged with the latter in the closed position of the buckle.

5. The buckle of claim 1, wherein said lever comprises a substantially channel-shaped member having:

A. a web that provides said wall means;

B. spaced-apart flanges to which said pivot-defining means are connected; and

C. said terminal member lying under said wall means.

6. The buckle of claim 3, further characterized by:

A. said tenninal member being disposed at the side of said wall means remote from said plane and having opposite arms which extend rearwardly from its ends and terminate in trunnions that project toward one another on a common transverse axis; and

B. a bearing on the lever having bearing openings into which said trunnions project to mount the terminal member on the lever for pivotal motion toward and from said wall means.

7. The buckle of claim 3, further characterized by:

A. a fore portion of the lever being received between spaced legs on the frame which carry said pivot-defining means;

B. one of said legs having an extension projecting a distance rearwardly beyond the axis of the pivot-defining means, along one side of the lever; and

C. a latch carried by the lever for movement to and from an operative latching position engaging a portion on the rear of said leg extension which faces away from said wall means.

8. The buckle of claim 1, further characterized by latch means on the lever rearwardly of said pivot axis and releasably engageable with a part on the frame to prevent swinging of the lever out of its buckle-closed position.

9. The buckle of claim 3, further characterized by latch means on the lever readily releasably engageable with a portion of the frame rearwardly of said pivot axis, to hold the lever against swinging to a buckle-open position at which said wall means extends forwardly over the frame.

10. The buckle of claim 3, further characterized by:

A. a latch member mounted on said lever rearwardly of the terminal member, for movement between latching and nonlatching positions; and

B. a rearwardextension on the frame engageable by the latch member in its latching position, to prevent swinging motion of the lever in a direction to carry said support to a position at the opposite side of said plane.

11. The buckle of claim 1, wherein the lever is provided with transversely spaced means defining identical rounded guards that extend a distance forwardly beyond said strap support to protect the superimposed stretches of the strap thereon against damage by cargo when the lever is swung between buckle-open and buckle-closed positions.

12. The buckle of claim 5, further characterized by:

A. said terminal member comprising a bar extending transversely across the space between the lever flanges; and

B. the flanges on the lever having opposite upwardly and forwardly inclined slots in which the opposite end portions of the terminal bar are received, to cause the bar to be cammed toward the underside of said wall means by tension on the strap and thereby effect clamping of said one of said forwardly extending superimposed stretches of the strap thereagainst.

13. The buckle of claim 3, further characterized by:

A. said wall means passing forwardly over and covering the lever pivot axis, but under the terminal member, and comprising the web of a channel-shaped member; and

B. a substantially U-shaped element the bight of which provides said terminal member and the legs of which are individually pivotally connected to the flanges of said channel-shaped member to mount the terminal member thereon for swinging motion about an axis parallel to the lever pivot axis.

14. The buckle of claim 13, further characterized by:

A. said web having slots therein, extending for and aft of the lever adjacent to its opposite sides; and

B. the legs of said U-shaped element passing through said slots to be disposed alongside the inner surfaces of the flanges on the channel-shaped member.

15. The buckle of claim 7, further characterized by:

A. the latch'being supported by said wall means for pivotal motion toward and from its latching position, about a fixed transverse axis closely adjacent to said wall means; and

B. the latch having an arm portion extending away from said wall means along said side of the lever, with a hook on its outer end to engage said portion on the rear of the extension of said one frame leg.

16. The buckle of claim 3, further characterized by:

A. the frame having legs overlying opposite sides of the lever and each having an extension thereon which projects adistance rearwardly beyond the lever pivot axis;

B. a substantially U-shaped latch having:

I. a bight portion which extends across said wall means at a distance rearwardly of said terminal member,

2. arms which project from the ends of bight away from said wall means and externally alongside the extensions on the frame legs, and

3. hooks on the outer ends of the latch arms which project inwardly toward the opposite sides of the lever, and which are engageable under edge portions of said extensions which face away from said wall means,

C. and means on said wall means defining a bearing in which the bight portion of the latch is received to journal the latch for pivotal motion from an operative latching position with its hooks engaged under said edge portions of the extensions on the frame legs, to an unlatching position at which said latch arms are spaced rearwardly away from the extremities of the frame leg extensions.

17. The buckle of claim 16, further characterized by cooperating means on the latch and on the lever for yieldingly bearing also having other bearing means thereon to mount the 1 terminal member for pivotal motion toward and from said wall means about a fixed axis transverse thereto.

20. The buckle of claim 16, further characterized by:

A. said bight portion on the latch extending transversely over the exterior of said wall means in contact therewith; and

B. bearing-defining means comprising a plate secured to the exterior of said wall means and having a bearing crease in its underside to receive the bight portion of the latch and to cooperate with said wall means to pivotally support the latch thereon.

21. The buclde of claim 20, further characterized by:

A. said wall means having an opening therein in register with the bight portion of the latch;

B. the bight portion of the latch has an eccentric thereon projecting through said opening; and

C. a leaf spring on the lever, against which said eccentric portion of the latch bight bears, to yieldingly hold the latch in its latching position.

22. The buckle of claim 21, further characterized by:

said cam surface on the extremity of each of said frame arm extensions, engageable with said hooks on the latch arms to momentarily earn the latch out of its latching position during pivotal motion of the lever to bring the buckle to a closed position at which the lever extends lengthwise rearwardly from the frame, and operable to allow return of the latch to its latching position as soon as the hooks thereon can pass under the extremities of the frame leg extensions.

23. The buckle of claim 21, further characterized by:

said spring normally exerting a turning moment on the latch through said eccentric on its bight to yieldingly hold the latch in each of its latching and unlatching positions, to one side or the other of a dead center position of the eccentric.

I 24. A buckle for securing together the ends of a cargoholding strap and for tensioning the strap, characterized by:

A. a terminal frame comprising a pair of opposite substantially parallel legs having front and rear ends, and a cross bar joining said legs at their front ends, to provide for securement of one end of a cargo-holding strap to said frame;

B. an elongated lever having a substantially flat wall;

C. means connecting the lever to the legs of the terminal frame for swinging motion about a pivot axis parallel to the crossbar and spaced a distance rearwardly thereof, from inoperative to operative positions at the latter of which the lever is lengthwise aligned with said legs and extends a substantial distance rearwardly therefrom;

D. means on the lever providing a strap support that extends transversely across its front portion in confronting relation to the crossbar, at a location between the latter and said pivot axis but a distance offset in one direction from a plane containing the crossbar and said axis when the lever is in its operative position;

E. means on the lever providing a terminal bar which extends transversely thereacross at a location adjacent to said pivot axis and similarly ofiset in said one direction from said plane; and

F. cooperating latch means on the lever and said terminal frame engageable with one another a distance rearwardly from said pivot axis, to prevent swinging motion of the lever toward its inoperative position.

25. An overcenter-type strap-tensioning buckle for securing together the ends of a cargo-holding strap, characterized by:

A. a frame having front and rear portions, a pair of opposite substantially parallel rearwardly extending legs, and a crossbar joining said legs at the front of the frame and to which one end of a cargo-holding strap can be secured;

B. a lever having an elongated substantially imperforate flat wall; and

C. means pivotally connecting the lever to the frame legs for swinging motion about an axis parallel to said crossbar toward and from a normal buckle-closed strap-tensioning position at which:

1. said wall extends lengthwise forwardly and rearwardly over said axis, a transverse strap support provided by the front edge of said wall is at a location spaced a distance forwardly from the pivot axis, and offset in one direction from a plane containing said pivot axis and passing through the crossbar, the strap support being movable to said location in consequence of swinging the lever to its closed position from a buckle-open position at which said wall extends forwardly over the crossbar, and the strap support is spaced rearwardly of the pivot axis and offset in the opposite direction from said plane, and 3. a transverse terminal bar on the lever normally spaced from said wall and over which the other end portion of the strap can be looped with one stretch of the strap passing between said wall and the terminal bar, said bar being offset in the same direction from said plane as the strap support and spaced from the latter a distance no greater than the distance between the strap support and the pivot axis.

26. A buckle having a frame with a crossbar thereon to which one end of a cargo-holding strap can be secured, and a lever pivotally connected to the frame to swing about an axis parallel to but spaced a distance in one direction from the crossbar, the lever having a terminal member thereon engageable by the other end portion of a cargo-holding strap, and being pivotable in one direction about said axis to a buckle-closed position at which a portion of the lever extends to the side of its axis remote from the crossbar, characterized by: a

A. a part on the frame which lies adjacent to said portion of the lever in the buckle-closed position thereof; and

B. a latch device mounted on said portion of the lever for motion toward and from an operative position engaging said part on the frame to prevent pivotal movement of the lever in the opposite direction out of its buckle-closed position.

27. A device having a pair of members connected together such that one of said members is constrained to move relative to the other along a predetermined path to and from an operative position, characterized by:

A. said members having portions which are juxtaposed in the operative position of said one member;

B. a latch;

C. means on said one portion of the first designated member mounting the latch for swinging movement relative thereto about an axis fixed with respect to said one member and crosswise of its said path of motion;

D. an arm on the latch, movable therewith toward and from a latching position at which a part on said arm is cooperable with an edge on said portion of said other member when said portions of the members are juxtaposed to prevent movement of the first designated member away from said operative position thereof; and

E. spring means acting on the latch to yieldingly urge the same to its latching position.

28. The device of claim 27, further characterized by:

A. an eccentric on the latch; and

B. said sprmg means comprising a leaf spring which bears upon said eccentric and acts to yieldingly hold the latch in either said latching position thereof or a nonlatching position.

29. The device of claim 27, further characterized by:

A. cooperating means on the first designated member and on the latch engageable to define the latching position of the latch arm, which position the arm can occupy prior to movement of the first designated member to said operative position thereof; and

B. cam means on said portion of said other member engageable with said part on the latch arm during movement of the first designated member toward its operative position for momentarily moving the arm out of its latching position to thereby enable said portions on the members to be brought into juxtaposition without interference from the latch, and then latched as soon as said portions reach juxtaposition. 

1. An overcenter-type strap-tensioning buckle for securing together the ends of a cargo-holding strap, characterized by: A. means providing an elongated frame having front and rear portions and having means at its front portion defining a crossbar to which one end portion of a cargo-holding strap can be secured with the strap extending forwardly from the frame; B. pivot-defining means on the frame disposed on a transverse axis located a distance rearwardly from said crossbar; C. a lever having elongated wall means with a Transversely extending strap support at one end thereof; D. means on the lever supporting the same from said pivotdefining means for pivotal motion about said transverse axis toward and from a buckle-closed position at which said wall means extends fore and aft of said axis, substantially lengthwise along a plane containing said crossbar and axis, and the support on said wall means faces forwardly from a location between said crossbar and axis and a distance offset from said plane; E. said support being adapted to bear against flatwise juxtaposed stretches of the strap at the other end thereof which define a loop and have portions remote from the loop extending forwardly to and around said support near said plane, and have other portions adjacent to the loop which extend rearwardly of the support remote from said plane; F. a terminal member around which said loop is engaged, said terminal member extending transversely of the lever near said plane and at a location spaced rearwardly from said support but between the ends of the lever; and G. means mounting said terminal member on the lever for movement relative thereto toward and from said wall means, and in an attitude such that forwardly acting force thereon resulting from tension on the strap effects movement of said terminal member in a direction toward said wall means to clamp thereto one of the superimposed stretches of the strap engaged over the terminal member.
 2. The buckle of claim 1, wherein said wall means has flanges at opposite sides thereof, with rounded portions on the flanges that extend forwardly beyond said strap support to afford protection for the superimposed stretches of a strap passing rearwardly around the support.
 2. a transverse strap support provided by the front edge of said wall is at a location spaced a distance forwardly from the pivot axis, and offset in one direction from a plane containing said pivot axis and passing through the crossbar, the strap support being movable to said location in consequence of swinging the lever to its closed position from a buckle-open position at which said wall extends forwardly over the crossbar, and the strap support is spaced rearwardly of the pivot axis and offset in the opposite direction from said plane, and
 2. arms which project from the ends of bight away from said wall means and externally alongside the extensions on the frame legs, and
 3. a transverse terminal bar on the lever normally spaced from said wall and over which the other end portion of the strap can be looped with one stretch of the strap passing between said wall and the terminal bar, said bar being offset in the same direction from said plane as the strap support and spaced from the latter a distance no greater than the distance between the strap support and the pivot axis.
 3. hooks on the outer ends of the latch arms which project inwardly toward the opposite sides of the lever, and which are engageable under edge portions of said extensions which face away from said wall means, C. and means on said wall means defining a bearing in which the bight portion of the latch is received to journal the latch for pivotal motion from an operative latching position with its hooks engaged under said edge portions of the extensions on the frame legs, to an unlatching position at which said latch arms are spaced rearwardly away from the extremities of the frame leg extensions.
 3. An overcenter-type strap tensioning buckle for securing together the ends of a cargo-holding strap, characterized by: A. means providing an elongated frame having a rear portion and a front portion with a crossbar thereon to which one end of a cargo-holding strap can be secured; B. pivot-defining means on the frame disposed on a transverse axis located a distance rearwardly from said crossbar; C. a lever having elongated wall means with a transverse strap support at one end thereof; D. means on the lever supporting the same from said pivot-defining means for pivotal motion about said transverse axis from a buckle-closed position, at which said wall means extends a substantial distance rearwardly of said axis, lengthwise along a plane containing the crossbar and said axis, and at which position the strap support thereon faces forwardly from a location between the crossbar and said axis and a distance offset in one direction from said plane, to a buckle-open position at which the strap support is disposed at the opposite side of said plane; E. a terminal member with which the other end portion of the strap can be engaged, and extending transversely of the lever and similarly offset in said one direction from said plane, at a location spaced rearwardly from the strap support but between the ends of the lever; and F. means mounting said terminal member on the lever for movement relative thereto toward and from said wall means, and in such orientation relative to the lever that force exerted on said terminal member urging it toward said support, in consequence of tension on the strap, effects movement of the terminal member toward said wall means to clamp thereto a portion of the strap engaged with the terminal member.
 4. The buckle of claim 3, further characterized by: A. said strap support and said terminal member being located between said plane and said wall means in the closed position of the buckle; and B. said wall means providing a cover which conceals the strap support, the terminal member and portions of the strap engaged with the latter in the closed position of the buckle.
 5. The buckle of claim 1, wherein said lever comprises a substantially channel-shaped member having: A. a wEb that provides said wall means; B. spaced-apart flanges to which said pivot-defining means are connected; and C. said terminal member lying under said wall means.
 6. The buckle of claim 3, further characterized by: A. said terminal member being disposed at the side of said wall means remote from said plane and having opposite arms which extend rearwardly from its ends and terminate in trunnions that project toward one another on a common transverse axis; and B. a bearing on the lever having bearing openings into which said trunnions project to mount the terminal member on the lever for pivotal motion toward and from said wall means.
 7. The buckle of claim 3, further characterized by: A. a fore portion of the lever being received between spaced legs on the frame which carry said pivot-defining means; B. one of said legs having an extension projecting a distance rearwardly beyond the axis of the pivot-defining means, along one side of the lever; and C. a latch carried by the lever for movement to and from an operative latching position engaging a portion on the rear of said leg extension which faces away from said wall means.
 8. The buckle of claim 1, further characterized by latch means on the lever rearwardly of said pivot axis and releasably engageable with a part on the frame to prevent swinging of the lever out of its buckle-closed position.
 9. The buckle of claim 3, further characterized by latch means on the lever readily releasably engageable with a portion of the frame rearwardly of said pivot axis, to hold the lever against swinging to a buckle-open position at which said wall means extends forwardly over the frame.
 10. The buckle of claim 3, further characterized by: A. a latch member mounted on said lever rearwardly of the terminal member, for movement between latching and nonlatching positions; and B. a rearward extension on the frame engageable by the latch member in its latching position, to prevent swinging motion of the lever in a direction to carry said support to a position at the opposite side of said plane.
 11. The buckle of claim 1, wherein the lever is provided with transversely spaced means defining identical rounded guards that extend a distance forwardly beyond said strap support to protect the superimposed stretches of the strap thereon against damage by cargo when the lever is swung between buckle-open and buckle-closed positions.
 12. The buckle of claim 5, further characterized by: A. said terminal member comprising a bar extending transversely across the space between the lever flanges; and B. the flanges on the lever having opposite upwardly and forwardly inclined slots in which the opposite end portions of the terminal bar are received, to cause the bar to be cammed toward the underside of said wall means by tension on the strap and thereby effect clamping of said one of said forwardly extending superimposed stretches of the strap thereagainst.
 13. The buckle of claim 3, further characterized by: A. said wall means passing forwardly over and covering the lever pivot axis, but under the terminal member, and comprising the web of a channel-shaped member; and B. a substantially U-shaped element the bight of which provides said terminal member and the legs of which are individually pivotally connected to the flanges of said channel-shaped member to mount the terminal member thereon for swinging motion about an axis parallel to the lever pivot axis.
 14. The buckle of claim 13, further characterized by: A. said web having slots therein, extending for and aft of the lever adjacent to its opposite sides; and B. the legs of said U-shaped element passing through said slots to be disposed alongside the inner surfaces of the flanges on the channel-shaped member.
 15. The buckle of claim 7, further characterized by: A. the latch being supported by said wall means for pivotal motion toward and From its latching position, about a fixed transverse axis closely adjacent to said wall means; and B. the latch having an arm portion extending away from said wall means along said side of the lever, with a hook on its outer end to engage said portion on the rear of the extension of said one frame leg.
 16. The buckle of claim 3, further characterized by: A. the frame having legs overlying opposite sides of the lever and each having an extension thereon which projects a distance rearwardly beyond the lever pivot axis; B. a substantially U-shaped latch having:
 17. The buckle of claim 16, further characterized by cooperating means on the latch and on the lever for yieldingly holding the latch in said latching and unlatching positions thereof.
 18. The buckle of claim 16, further characterized by: A. said latch having spring arms which are biased toward one another to urge the ends of their hooks into engagement with flanges on the opposite sides of the lever; and B. indentations in said flanges in which said hooks can engage under spring tension, to define detents for the latch to yieldingly hold the same in both its latching and unlatching positions.
 19. The buckle of claim 16, further characterized by said bearing also having other bearing means thereon to mount the terminal member for pivotal motion toward and from said wall means about a fixed axis transverse thereto.
 20. The buckle of claim 16, further characterized by: A. said bight portion on the latch extending transversely over the exterior of said wall means in contact therewith; and B. bearing-defining means comprising a plate secured to the exterior of said wall means and having a bearing crease in its underside to receive the bight portion of the latch and to cooperate with said wall means to pivotally support the latch thereon.
 21. The buckle of claim 20, further characterized by: A. said wall means having an opening therein in register with the bight portion of the latch; B. the bight portion of the latch has an eccentric thereon projecting through said opening; and C. a leaf spring on the lever, against which said eccentric portion of the latch bight bears, to yieldingly hold the latch in its latching position.
 22. The buckle of claim 21, further characterized by: said cam surface on the extremity of each of said frame arm extensions, engageable with said hooks on the latch arms to momentarily cam the latch out of its latching position during pivotal motion of the lever to bring the buckle to a closed position at which the lever extends lengthwise rearwardly from the frame, and operable to allow return of the latch to its latching position as soon as the hooks thereon can pass under the extremities of the frame leg extensions.
 23. The buckle of claim 21, further characterized by: said spring normally exerting a turning moment on the latch through said eccentric on its bight to yieldingly hold the latch in each of its latching and unlatching positions, to one side or the other of a dead center position of the eccentric.
 24. A buCkle for securing together the ends of a cargo-holding strap and for tensioning the strap, characterized by: A. a terminal frame comprising a pair of opposite substantially parallel legs having front and rear ends, and a cross bar joining said legs at their front ends, to provide for securement of one end of a cargo-holding strap to said frame; B. an elongated lever having a substantially flat wall; C. means connecting the lever to the legs of the terminal frame for swinging motion about a pivot axis parallel to the crossbar and spaced a distance rearwardly thereof, from inoperative to operative positions at the latter of which the lever is lengthwise aligned with said legs and extends a substantial distance rearwardly therefrom; D. means on the lever providing a strap support that extends transversely across its front portion in confronting relation to the crossbar, at a location between the latter and said pivot axis but a distance offset in one direction from a plane containing the crossbar and said axis when the lever is in its operative position; E. means on the lever providing a terminal bar which extends transversely thereacross at a location adjacent to said pivot axis and similarly offset in said one direction from said plane; and F. cooperating latch means on the lever and said terminal frame engageable with one another a distance rearwardly from said pivot axis, to prevent swinging motion of the lever toward its inoperative position.
 25. An overcenter-type strap-tensioning buckle for securing together the ends of a cargo-holding strap, characterized by: A. a frame having front and rear portions, a pair of opposite substantially parallel rearwardly extending legs, and a crossbar joining said legs at the front of the frame and to which one end of a cargo-holding strap can be secured; B. a lever having an elongated substantially imperforate flat wall; and C. means pivotally connecting the lever to the frame legs for swinging motion about an axis parallel to said crossbar toward and from a normal buckle-closed strap-tensioning position at which:
 26. A buckle having a frame with a crossbar thereon to which one end of a cargo-holding strap can be secured, and a lever pivotally connected to the frame to swing about an axis parallel to but spaced a distance in one direction from the crossbar, the lever having a terminal member thereon engageable by the other end portion of a cargo-holding strap, and being pivotable in one direction about said axis to a buckle-closed position at which a portion of the lever extends to the side of its axis remote from the crossbar, characterized by: A. a part on the frame which lies adjacent to said portion of the lever in the buckle-closed position thereof; and B. a latch device mounted on said portion of the lever for motion toward and from an operative position engaging said part on the frame to prevent Pivotal movement of the lever in the opposite direction out of its buckle-closed position.
 27. A device having a pair of members connected together such that one of said members is constrained to move relative to the other along a predetermined path to and from an operative position, characterized by: A. said members having portions which are juxtaposed in the operative position of said one member; B. a latch; C. means on said one portion of the first designated member mounting the latch for swinging movement relative thereto about an axis fixed with respect to said one member and crosswise of its said path of motion; D. an arm on the latch, movable therewith toward and from a latching position at which a part on said arm is cooperable with an edge on said portion of said other member when said portions of the members are juxtaposed to prevent movement of the first designated member away from said operative position thereof; and E. spring means acting on the latch to yieldingly urge the same to its latching position.
 28. The device of claim 27, further characterized by: A. an eccentric on the latch; and B. said spring means comprising a leaf spring which bears upon said eccentric and acts to yieldingly hold the latch in either said latching position thereof or a nonlatching position.
 29. The device of claim 27, further characterized by: A. cooperating means on the first designated member and on the latch engageable to define the latching position of the latch arm, which position the arm can occupy prior to movement of the first designated member to said operative position thereof; and B. cam means on said portion of said other member engageable with said part on the latch arm during movement of the first designated member toward its operative position for momentarily moving the arm out of its latching position to thereby enable said portions on the members to be brought into juxtaposition without interference from the latch, and then latched as soon as said portions reach juxtaposition. 